Improvement in ruffler attachments for sewing-machines



J. D. SOURWINE.

RUFFLER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINE. No.176,148. Patented April 1a,1876.

5/ Wines; [nae/2X02? UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ion.

JOHN D. SOUBWINE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RUFFLER ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1'76, 148. dated April18, 1876; application filed February 23, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. SOURWINE, of Indianapolis, in the county ofMarion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Ruffler Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification In the annexed drawings, making part of this specificationFigure 1 is an elevation, showing my improved ruffler as attached to thepressure-bar of a sewing-machine; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe ruffler detached.

This invention is intended to so modify the construction of the ruffiingattachment covered by United States Letters Patent No. 163,699, grantedto me May 25, 1875, as that a ruffling-finger, with a square end andwithout any slit or slits, can be used.

To this end my improvement consists in substituting for the fork on theoscillating lever to which the rufflingfinger is attached a cam slot oropening, provided with a projecting shoulder near its upper terminus,which shoulder, being in the path of the needle-clamping screw, will bestruck at the be ginning of the descent of the needle, so as tooscillate the lever and cause the withdrawal of the ruffiing finger orblade from under the pressure-foot in time to permit the needle topuncture the gathered cloth pasfi the square end of the ruffling fingeror blade.

A is the stem of the pressure-foot common in sewing-machines, to whichis attached an arm, B, which is secured by a plate and screw.

The arm B is formed as shown, and it is slotted, as shown at B, topermit the adjustment of plate 0, fastened to it by the set-screw D,which passes through the slot. The form ot'this plate is clearly shownin the drawings. It is slotted at G, as shown, where the slot canreceive the needle clampnut E ofthe needle-bar E. The descent of theneedle bar causes the nut E to press against the shoulder 0, and thusretract the spring ruffiing'blade F, which is fastened to the arm of theplate 0, as shown. When the nut passes the shoulder 0 the pressure-footA, resting on the cloth and end of the ruffiing-blade F, will hold itstationary until the nut either strikes the opposite side of the slot at0 and thereby still further retracts the ruffling-blade, or, returning,without touching at 0 strikes the side of the slot at 0 and,,liftingthat end of the plate 0, forces forward the ruffling-bladc F, andcarrying'with it the cloth, it gathers it in folds under thepressnrefoot, where it is held until the passage of the needle throughthe cloth secures the gathers by the thread. The cloth to be ruffledpasses above the stationary plate G, which is placed on the end of thearm B to preserve the rufflingblade F from contact with the feed, whichpasses through the bottom plate of the sewing-machine under thepressure-foot.

The following is the operation of this device: The cloth is passedbetween the plates or blades F and G. The blade F, being in the positionshown in Fig. 2, will, as the needle rises, and the nut impinges againstthe plate 0 at 0 be forced forward, carrying the cloth, which restsunder its point in gathers, under the pressure-foot A. Should it bedesired to make the blade F gather but a little cloth the plate 0 shouldbe set back from the stem of the pressure-foot, so that as the nut Edescends it will not strike at c butif it is desired to gather more ofthe cloth, then the plate G should be set forward so that the nut maystrike at c, and thus further retract the rnffling-blade to gather morecloth. hen the needle ascends the nut E, striking the edge of the slotat a, will force the blade F forward to gather the cloth under thepressure-foot. When the needle begins to descend before entering thecloth the nut E will bear against the shoulder c, and thus cause theblade F to be retracted out of the way of the needle, which immediatelyafterward will pass through the cloth gathered and held under thepressure-foot, securing it by a stitch; By thus retracting the blade F Iam enabled to use a square-ended spring-blade instead of the notched andirregular blades heretofore employed, as the point of the blade will bedrawn away from the range of the needle before the latter punctures therufiie.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

chines, the oscillating plate or lever (J, havtwo subscribing witnesses.ing theruffling finger or blade F, and provided with a cam-slot, O,which has a pro- JNO. D. SOURWINE. jecting shoulder, 0, near its upperterminus, Witnesses: substantially as and for the purpose specified. A.RUPPERT,

In testimony whereof I have signed my Jos. T. K. PLANT.

In a ruffli-ng attachment for sewing-ma name to this specification inthe presence 0t

